Murray Kinsella joins Gavan Casey to provide his thoughts on Peter O’Mahony being named captain of an 34-man Ireland Six Nations squad.
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Say it’s not a huge surprise I actually think it’s a massive shock I stupidly did a kind of a rankings of potential Ireland captains from likeliest to forces as recently as yesterday I think I pet ROM like fifth but only because his future monsters seems uncertain the
Consensus was that the irfu would not renew his Central contract in which case it would fall to monster to offer him a new contract and certainly The Whispers were that at the moment they weren’t able to table a contract that would meet his satisfaction that maybe the time was
Right for them to move on at least from their perspective and would have been reluctantly certainly and yet this kind of throws the cat among the pigeons or completely changes that narrative doesn’t it in the sense that even the Optics of Ireland or Monster not being able to retain the national team captain
Over the next few months would be very strange it is a strange scenario it obviously massively strengthens Peter man hands if and if he wants to play on beyond the end of the season which it sounds like he he might have wanted and yeah that that picture is changing
Seemly every day and and what’s going to happen there I mean at the moment as far as I understand monster haven’t made an offer and that he is due to come off his Ru contract but as I’ve said a few times on on the Pod David new for is heading
Off very shortly David humph is going to come in and he far has his own ideas about what should happen as well and I think that picture could change in a number of instances not just om Mani as that transition happens from new Sephora to to humre or maybe it is just a
Swansong for Peter Manny maybe this will be his his final season I suppose from far’s point of view and I think people get caught up but it’s a new World Cup cycle what are they going to do for the next four years but his job right now is
To try and defend the grand slamp that’s what they’re going to try and do in the in the coming weeks because it really is upon them very quickly they’re going to C Monday go to Portugal Wednesday then they’re straight over to Mar to play a French team that we we know is is
Excellent even without Dupont and while obviously the next World Cup is important to Ireland the most important thing on his agenda right now is trying to win that six nations and clearly he feels that Peter ommani right now who’s contracted to the rvie right now and remains an excellent player right now is
Is the best leader for for that so yeah you’re right it is very different circumstances and if he’s going back to the table in the in the short term obviously this change is that scenario but I think for for farell when he weighed it all up and the other
Contenders it was just it was a little bit of uncertainty wasn’t it you know James Ryan’s going to be in a battle for his place in the second rouers Henderson in form McCarthy is the coming Force there to Burn’s been excellent for Ireland Gary ringrose is out of 13 and
Hasn’t had a massive amount of captaincy experience K Daris only did it recently for the first time with lster and admitted that it was a bit of a kind of learning curve for him in terms of senior Robby Dan Ian’s not been a captain although he’s a clearly a leader
By example now and Henderson’s in that same battle really as as Ryan whereas clearly in in far’s mind om man is still that First Choice option at number six and and will lead the team definitely for this Six Nations anyway yeah it’s an interesting one you say there because if you you mentioned
That say James Ryan’s position would be in contention or or contended for by say Joe McCarthy and others Ian Henderson obviously started overr in that final pool game against Scotland at the World Cup so nothing would be certain there but I would have thought and I think a lot of
People would have felt as though oman’s position would be even more so under threat just because you have say Ryan B knocking on the door there and like if Omani starts then probably one of Joe McCarthy or Ryan yeah just I don’t know I’m thinking
Of live but it it puts things in flux a little bit and it probably makes it seem as though man position a little bit more cemented than would have been expected coming into this conversation right yeah probably by us on the outside and I I’m among those who’s excited by Beard’s
Form at the moment but if you think about where faroh is coming from it’s from a World Cup campaign where bear didn’t really like he wasn’t that prominent a figure when we probably expected him to be that and others expect him to be that it just didn’t
Really happen in terms of his impact on on a World Cup campaign and that’s where Farrell is probably most thinking not kind of USC games and and Champions Cup games in the intermediate period which I mean that workup is so recently as well and and man started all five games and
Prove that he can put back-to-back performances together and he’s fit again now so if I’m in Farrell’s trying to get in Farrell’s mind that’s probably how I’m thinking about it they haven’t really Unleashed Ryan beard yet and obviously he’s got a big part to play in that whatever has been happening in Camp
Or not been happening in Camp I I’m not privy to that but but it hasn’t happened for him yet really with arand while he is getting caps and he has played some big games it hasn’t been on a consistent basis so by naming om Mani Captain you know they’re clearly suggesting that he
Is going to be still that front liner at six and we should not discount the form that he’s had in that Jersey over the past year and Beyond you know I think everyone would love to get that New Zealand game back and no one really hit
A a top top performance in that game but rior to that man’s form was really excellent and he came back with notable effect for for moner last weekend and as we mentioned in our chat with ow as people would he he had a massive impact behind the scenes apparently with
Monster just getting back in that mix and grabbing hold of it all and Farrell will want him to do something similar as they handled this let’s mention Johnny sexon for the first time they handled this post Johnny sexon era they’ve lost this unbelievably talismanic incredibly influential player coach leer slash
Everything you know he’s been so integral to everything the S Squad have done and I’m certain that you know that’s really Chief in in far’s thinking as they just take the first step of that and maybe the picture this Ireland Squad will will morph a little bit more as
They go on but it feels like um you know a wise move for for the first step anyway
3 Comments
Congrats to Peter, he is deserving of the honour.
Peter is an excellent and committed player.
Wishing Peter the best of luck. Looking forward to the 6 Nations competition.
It's due & earned many times over, POM is the most committed player Ireland has. He is a performer & dominates his position, as other do theirs, by exceptional personal ability. But he is more than that, he has that rare gift of rising above his role, often incurring injury & penalty, as the example & to lead. I imagine POM as Sexton's choice for the mantle.
Cringe accents rubbish app